thought of the probability of the escaped
"abolitionist" having reached that boat, and hence I was not
suspected: at least, I thought so. Yet there was nothing in my
surroundings that gave me much encouragement, as the passengers, who
were numerous, were chiefly violent men and full of denunciation of
the North. I was already exhausted by the scenes through which I had
passed, and poorly prepared for another and more trying one, which
soon met me, and of course was not able to get much rest during the
day and night passed on the way to Memphis.

As the St. Francis touched the wharf on the morning of the 19th of
April, the very day that the blood of the Massachusetts sixth
regiment dyed the streets of Baltimore, shed by her murderous
rebels, I stepped upon the landing; meaning to look over the state
of things in the city, and see if I could get out of it in the
direction of Nashville, where I had friends who, I thought, would
aid me homeward.

But I had not left the wharf, when a "blue jacket," the sobriquet of
the military policemen that then guarded the city, stepped up and
said, "I see you are a stranger." "Yes, sir." "I have some business
with you. You will please walk with me, sir." To my expression of
astonishment, which was real, he replied, "You answer the
description very well, sir. The Committee of Public Safety wish to
see you, come along." As it was useless to parley, I walked with
him, and was soon ushered into the presence of that body, a much
more intelligent and no less intensely Southern organization, than
I had found in the grocery of Jeffersonville.

They questioned me as to my home, political opinions, and
destination, and received such answers as I thought it wise to give.
Whereupon they confronted me, to my amazement, with a member of the
Vigilance Committee which had tried me at Jeffersonville, one
hundred and twenty miles distant, thirty hours before. I was amazed,
because I did not imagine that any one of their number could have
reached Memphis before me. He had ridden after me the night of my
escape, and when I stopped for breakfast, he had passed on to
Helena, and taking an earlier up-river boat, had reached Memphis
some hours in advance of the St. Francis; long enough before me to
post the Committee of Public Safety as to my person and story when
before his committee. Even with this swift witness against me, they
were unable to establish any crime, and after consultation, they
told me I c